{"id":11902,"date":"2019-07-16T16:28:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T14:28:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=11902"},"modified":"2022-01-11T08:54:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T07:54:48","slug":"gibson-es-335","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/gibson-es-335\/","title":{"rendered":"The Gibson ES-335"},"content":{"rendered":"

Released by Gibson in 1958, the ES-335 was the first thinline semi-hollow body electric guitar. The Gibson ES-335 is an archtop guitar equipped with two hollow chambers separated by a solid maple wood block running down its center, and twin humbuckers. The maple block provides the ES-335 with a hybrid solid\/hollow body perfect for jazz and blues musicians.<\/p>\n

\"Gibson<\/p>\n

According to Ted McCarty, president of Gibson at the time:<\/p>\n

I came up with the idea of putting a solid block of maple in an acoustic model to get some of the same tone as a regular solid body, plus the instrument’s hollow wings would vibrate and we’d get a combination of an electric solid body and a hollow body guitar.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The result was a middle ground which reduced the feedback of a hollow-body at high volumes while maintaining warmer tones than a solid body. This hybrid design has sustained the ES-335’s popularity throughout the years.<\/p>\n

The Gibson ES-335 was designed as a compromise between the warm, dark sound of a hollow body and the practicality of a solid body guitar such as the Gibson Les Paul, which wasn’t as prone to feedback as a hollow-body.<\/p>\n

The Venetian cutaways and the neck joint at the 19th fret provide easy access to the higher frets.<\/p>\n

Popularized by artists such as John Scofield, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Chuck Berry, and John Mayer, Gibson’s ES-335 has become a classic in the jazz, blues, and rock scene and has a plethora of variations.<\/p>\n

The ES-335 is not a cheap guitar, scoring anywhere from $1,350 to $30,000 depending on the year, finish, and specs.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/span><\/span>\n

Gibson ES-335 – Specifications<\/h2>\n

Woods<\/h3>\n
\n
Body<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Semi-hollow body<\/p>\n

Maple (plywood) with a solid maple block down the center<\/p>\n

Double cutaway<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Neck<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Set neck<\/p>\n

Scale length – 24 3\/4″ (629 mm)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Fretboard<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Rosewood<\/p>\n

22 frets<\/p>\n

Pearl dot inlays<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Hardware<\/h3>\n
\n
Bridge<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Tune-o-Matic bridge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Pickups<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Two humbuckers – PAF humbuckers, ’57 Classic humbuckers, “Dirty Fingers” humbuckers, Burstbucker humbuckers<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tailpiece<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

Stop tailpiece or Bigsby Vibrato<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

History of the Gibson ES-335<\/h2>\n

Gibson started producing the ES-335 in 1958 and is still in production today.<\/p>\n

The full name of the model was Gibson ES-335 TD. TD stands for “Thinline, Double Pickups”, but this part of the name was usually left out because all ES-335 models came as a thinline with double pickups.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a list of acronyms used in relation to the ES-335:<\/p>\n